Game District secures majority ownership of Gleam Games in strategic acquisition

Southeast Asia-based game studio Game District has acquired a majority stake in Gleam Games, a Turkish company known for its puzzle game EverBlast.

Southeast Asia-based Game District, with over 2 billion downloads, has acquired a majority stake in Gleam Games, one of the fastest-growing local players in the mobile gaming industry. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Gleam Games, founded by Eser Yoğurtcu, Berkay Bekil, and Furkan Bekil and recognized as one of the fastest-growing startups in the casual gaming industry, completed an investment round led by IstCapital in April 2023.

Investors such as Fatih İşbecer, Fırat İşbecer, Ludus VC, and Tera Portföy also participated in the round, and the total investment of the company, which received an investment of 1 million dollars, reached 2 million dollars.

“This acquisition is a big step towards our mission to become a global leader in mobile games. We believe that by joining forces with Gleam Games, we will set new standards in the gaming industry and create extraordinary businesses.

The combination of Game District and Gleam Games will usher in a new era of creativity and innovation in gaming.”

Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District

Game District stands out as a rapidly growing and innovative mobile game development and publishing company in the MENA Region (Middle East and North Africa).

“Game District, which has reached 2 billion downloads and 7 million daily active users, has a different position in the industry with its wide collaboration network and agreements with international brands such as NFL. We aim to take this success even further by combining it with Gleam Games’ puzzle game experience and game development technologies.

Gleam Games is not only a studio that develops successful mobile games, but also a company that creates game technology by effectively using data, artificial intelligence and new developer tools. This gives Gleam Games the innovation power to create more immersive and dynamic gaming experiences.

The Gleam Games acquisition reinforces Game District’s ambition to be a global leader in mobile gaming, and the two companies join forces to create a partnership that will set new standards for innovation and expertise in the industry.

Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District
Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District

Eser Yogurtcu will join game District as CSO

As part of the deal, Eser Yoğurtcu, Co-Founder and CEO of Gleam Games, will join Game District as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). The serial entrepreneur, who previously played an important role at Peak Games, which was acquired by Zynga for 1.8 billion dollars, shared his evaluations of the agreement with the following statements:

“At Peak Games and Gleam Games, I participated in projects that left a mark on the industry. Now, as CSO at Game District, I am here to shape the future of mobile games and make a difference in the industry with bold steps.

With my innovative perspective and entrepreneurial experience, I believe we can strengthen Game District’s position in the industry and build a leading brand.”

Game District CSO Eser Yogurtcu
Game District CSO Eser Yogurtcu

“Yogurtcu’s entrepreneurial spirit and successful track record in the industry are great assets to Game District. As Game District, we want to create new standards in the industry and push the boundaries. I am confident that by adding Yogurtcu’s vision to our leadership team, we will accelerate Game District’s growth and increase its impact in the industry.”

Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District

Committed to building a dynamic gaming community

Saad Hameed stated that the acquisition of Gleam Games is in line with the vision of developing the gaming ecosystem in Turkiye and positioning Turkiye as an innovation center in the gaming industry, and concluded his evaluations with the following statements:

“Both companies aim to add dynamism to the gaming ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between the strong community of gamers and game developers in Turkiye and Europe.

With this acquisition, Gleam Games plans to expand its portfolio of puzzle games, such as EverBlast, which reaches hundreds of thousands of players, and develop projects in new game genres. With Game District’s acquisition of a majority stake in Gleam Games, we are ready to collaborate with other studios in Turkiye and Europe.”

Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District
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